What does a theme in Liferay control?

A theme in Liferay specifically controls the overall look and feel of a portal. Themes are designed to define how the user interface elements – such as layout, colors, fonts, and styles – are presented to the end-users. This includes aspects like the arrangement of content, the visual appeal of portlets, and the overall aesthetic experience users encounter while navigating through the portal.

In terms of development, themes allow developers to customize the appearance of Liferay sites without altering the backend functionality. By leveraging themes, organizations can ensure that their portal reflects their branding and user experience standards effectively.

The other options, while relevant to portal management, pertain to areas outside the scope of themes. For example, the functionality of portlets relates directly to how portlets operate and interact within the portal, not their visual representation. Security settings are related to user permissions and access control, and database connectivity deals with how the portal communicates with data sources. None of these aspects fall under the purview of what themes manage within Liferay.